1UG4.] 



HEARTH MONEY. 



233 



In order to explain the nature and description of 

 the Hearth-money returns relating to Newmarket it 

 is necessary to g^lance back to the meetino^ 



r ^ r T> ^• ■ Charles II. 



of the first Parliament after the Restoration, 

 The king, in his speech on the passing of the In- 

 demnity Bill, gave his faithful Commons a broad hint 

 that some more money for himself and his brothers 

 would be very welcome. The Houses had already been 

 considering the jointure of the Queen-mother, and had 

 made her a present of ^'20,000, and they now voted 

 ^10,000 more to the Duke of York, ^7000 more to 

 the Duke of Gloucester, and ^5000 for repairs of 

 his Majesty's houses. The vaster business of pro- 

 viding securely a further annual revenue of ^1,200,000 

 for the king occupied much of the attention of the 

 Commons ; but as it involved some difficult questions, 

 and especially that of the proper mode of raising so 

 much of the sum as had hitherto come from uncon- 

 stitutional prerogatives which his Majesty was now 



* Lay Subsidies. Suffolk, 11%. MS., P. R. O. 



